﻿﻿﻿Tales of the Trail...﻿﻿﻿

Stage 1: Ruhpolding - St. Johann - the stats

The starting stage of the Gore-Tex® Transalpine-Run was a whopping 49.5 kilometers (let's just call it an ultra and move on), making it the second longest stretch of this years’ event. The stage started off with rain in Ruhpolding, Germany, as runners made their way to St. Johann, Austria (near Kitzbuhel). The course crossed over the Chiemgauer Alps & the famous Winkelmossalm, covering 1670 m ascent (5, 478 feet). Wet and very muddy conditions made for a challenging and long day & many teams (unfortunately) didn't make cut offs. For todays results click HERE. For more photos click HERE.

Highlights & lowlights: a summary

- it only rained for 3hrs out of our 6:50hrs.- we decided to break the run into five 10k races for "fun": 1st 10k. Sun Run - it was pouring out. Vancouver inspired; 2nd 10k. Color Run - not sure really. Probably because we would never actually run one; 3rd 10k. Oliver - thinking it's always hot in Oliver. Surely, the sun would come out. And it did; 4th 10k. Tough Mudder - we ran in more mud than I have ever ran my whole life; 5th10k. Terry Fox - he inspired us to bring it home.- my husband. He has the toughest job looking after us gals and seeing his smiling face at the aid stations on top of all the work he is doing for us was the #1 highlight of my day.- singing "old time rock & roll" for Carrie's husband Nathan who was starting his 50k journey back in Canada this morning.- for finishing. Especially when 20k in my legs got sore. That's what happens when you nurse a dancing injury 7 weeks before a race like this and hardly run. It was a walk/run to the finish line but my partner and I finished smiling and proud.- not one of us, but both of us squatting in stinging nettle when we went pee. Good thing our legs and knees were so sore that we hardly noticed our stinging butts.- post run cold water leg shower.